PLAYS FOR BRITAIN: The British Playhouse 90

Over the years I have become a greater fan of anthology series than I used to be. Today’s television programs, episodic in nature, are populated with anti-heroes like the soccer mom who sells dope to parents and students or the high school chemistry teacher who creates a demand for blue meth. Anthologies like Amazing Stories, Black Mirror and Playhouse 90 have always been favorites of mine, but I find while not every entry in a television anthology is a gem, one out of every four or five are so good it makes watching the other stories worth viewing. (Limited series, the new term for what we used to refer to as a mini-series, are also treasured.) In short, I simply found myself unable to continue watching these ongoing multi-season story arcs. While some like Gotham are of amusement simply for the comic book nature, they are still considered primetime soap operas.

 

For those who cannot get enough of Playhouse 90, I would like to introduce you to a hard-hitting program that aired in England from April to May of 1976. The program is title Plays for Britain and the six hour-long episodes are both compelling and provocative. In “Paradise Run,” Johnny joined the Army because he liked canoeing. Now he finds himself in the middle of a strife-torn city and discovers other qualities are necessary to survive. In “The Lifeswappers,” things have gotten so bad for Trevor – rotten job, bitchy wife – he decides to answer a “life-swapping” ad in the local paper. But this science-fiction tale literally means swapping bodies and identities – Princess Anne? Linda Lovelace? Who knows where it could this darkly-comic take would end?

 

In the episode “Sunshine in Brixton,” 16-year-old Otis loathes school. He wants to be a professional footballer, but is good at drawing, so his mother wants him to become a draftsman. When, a new sports teacher appears at his South London comprehensive school, and life starts to look a little more hopeful… In “Fast Hands,” Jimmy is a talented young boxer. Every punch he throws is eagerly watched by his trainer and resented by his girlfriend. His parents, however, are not particularly interested – until a large car and what appears to be a handsome contract arrive at the door.

 

In “Hitting Town,” Ralph decides to give his sister Clare a night on the town to cheer her up. They visit a burger bar and a disco in a modern precinct, and Clare gets slightly drunk. At the end of the evening, they both end up at Clare’s flat. The intense portrayal of siblings who find refuge from their bleak lives in one incestuous night is one to spawn controversy. In “Shuttlecock,” Sam likes his children to be grown-up chaps. So nine-year-old Harry is at a disadvantage in the battle of wits that develops.

 

The entire series is now available commercially on DVD, in PAL format from England. I watched one episode per night for the past week and while not every episode is a gem, there were at least two that I found to be fantastic stories. Basically this is a British version of Playhouse 90, with each episode meant to strike a nerve and spawn discussion and controversy. Rekindling my love for anthology programs is the biggest compliment I could give this series, worth watching if you love British television.